Like Fallen Leaves (working title?)

Enter Smalls

Right, before you continue, there is a bit of foul language. I hope that it doesn't bother you too much. 

The gravel under his tennis shoes crunched, as he approached the small cul-de-sac, it was the quietest place he'd been to yet. All the houses looked relatively the same. 

"I'll have to mark them." He thought out loud. He approached the house directly across from the opening in the road. The outside looked untouched. 'Looks safe...' He thought as he slowly tried turning the doorknob. 

"Ugh, seriously?" He tried again. Locked. He reached into his front pocket and grabbed an ID card. He slid the card between the frame and the door a few times before trying again. He jiggled the knob, which now turned freely. 

"Thanks, Carol P." He said as he stuck the ID card of Carol Peletier back into his pocket. He slowly opened the door and stepped onto the mat infront of the door that read 'The Neighbors Have Better Stuff' 

"Oh really?" He chuckled. As he was breathing in, he caught a taste of the foulness of death and rotting.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What the actual hell?!" He stood in the doorway covering his nose. The smell of rotted and burning flesh filled the house. The stairs had fallen out, so the only place to go was deeper into the first floor. He tip-toed down a hallway, which led out into three different rooms. The first room turned up nothing useful, some receipts for chinese take-out and a book on pet handling. "Hoh. Just what I need." He chuckled to himself and tip-toed out into the hallway.

The floorboards in the second room creaked. The door had been torn off its hinges, and the furniture had been thrown around something awful; blood sprayed the walls and the curtains, hand prints covered everything. "Good God. Alright, Smalls. You can do this." He talked himself into entering the room. He scanned over the furniture and turned some to stand upright. In one of the couches was a book of matches, the shelves lining one wall had been cleared out except for some bookstands.

There was a body in the corner. He edged his way towards it; he raised his weapon, a pair of scissors lashed tightly to a metal pipe. He moved around to the feet and kicked at them. It didn't move but brought the pipe down on his head for safe measure. he flipped the body over. A woman, dressed pretty well. Her pockets were empty with the exception of a nail file and a wallet. He leafed through the cards in the sleeves of her wallet.

"Karren Schooner? Oh, you were cute, too." He shoved the I.D. into his front pocket, where seven others were. Each one belonged to someone he had 'put down'. He woud pull them out and imagine they were there with him, what they were like; they were his company on lonely nights. "Whew, if anyone found these." He chuckled to himself. There was a loud bang from the kitchen. He froze. 'Shit!' He thought to himself. He crouched low and crept toward the sound. From the doorway he looked around, from what he could see, the thing was alive.

"Wh-Who's there?" He called out. There was no answer. The slid in and crept under the table. The refrigerator was open. There was a set of legs shifting, jars clinked and plastic bottles thudded together.

"You're not going to want anything from in there." Smalls stood up, weapon ready. A girl, about his age, had spun around and raised her weapon in one swift and practiced movement. She had all the jars in her arms, a few of those canned food lids, and a turkey baster.

"You'd be surprised how useful these damn can lids are." She chuckled, waving one around.

"You the one who turned that room inside out?" He jabbed his thumb toward the room he had come out of. She nodded and moved slowly toward the other side of the kitchen. She opened drawers and grabbed things. Knives, forks, the knife sharpener that comes with the set of kitchen knives.

"No one ever takes these things. I mean how stupid is that?" She asked slipping it into her pack. Smalls said nothing. 'I would leave it... That is pretty stupid.' He thought as he walked a few paces behind her. "So where're you from? And don't say around. Had too many comedians out here." She turned on him with a frying pan in her hands. 'When did she pick that up?' He wondered.

"Well, I, uh. I'm from Georgia but I was in Knoxville when everything happened. I was with my girlfriend." He reached into his front pocket and the girl lifted the pan. He brought out a driver's license. "This is her." He tossed the card which was caught with gentleness.

"Timara Burke? She was beautiful. I lost people I loved, too." She handed the card back. "My name's Al. I have a small group. You've been on your own and can handle yourself. I like that, you could join us." She held out her hand. Smalls grasped it firmly and they shook on the deal.

"I'm Smalls, Allec Smalls. I'd like that. Let's finish sweeping this house and then head there." He smiled and grabbed his stuff. Al pressed a hand to his chest and shook her head.

"No, not yet. There are some questions I'm gonna have to ask you. It's for reassurance, mostly, and so that I can get a feel of what kind of person you are." She turned back to the drawer she had opened.

"What if I wanted to lie to you?" Smalls came up next to her. She only looked at him. Her eyes were burning a hole into his mind.

"You won't." She put in flatly as she walked out of the kitchen and into the living area. She wasn't very tall, and he could have beat her in a fight, at least from the looks of it. Her hair was cut almost to the scalp in the back. A patch in the front was rather long and covered her ears. Her yellow jacket was bright enough to be seen, but not enough to call too much attention. The boots she wore were falling apart.

"Oh, yes!" She breathed. She had found a closet with jackets, boots, and sports equipment in it. She pulled another bag out of the one she was carrying and started stuffing. "If you don't pass the exam you can have some of this stuff." She pushed herself up with a heavy sigh. "Right, I'll just ask you now, Allec. Do you know about how many of those things you've taken out?" She asked as her eyes flitted from thing to thing in the hallway, watching for any sign of movement.

"No, but not many. I try to lay low and stay as quiet as possible." He looked to her, watching her reaction. She didn't look at him. She just nodded.

"You ever kill anyone who was alive?" With this question she stared into his eyes. As if this question was a more complicated one than the last. Smalls nodded. In response so did she.

"Yeah, I did." He looked at his feet. When he looked up Al had moved closer to him. She opened her mouth to speak. It was clear she had said the words but, Allec hadn't heard them. He looked at her.

"Why?" She asked again. She watched him, her eyes were fierce. His lack for an answer had obviously shaken her.

"She, uh, she'd been bitten." The words rolled off his tongue like the words off a page. She nodded and took a few steps back. Then she rounded on him with the knife sharpener out. 'Who the hell is this girl?' Smalls thought as he backed up.

"You're lying to me, Smalls." Her entire energy had changed. She was threatening now, ready to attack. "Tell me why or you can stay here." She gestured out the window to the small group of walkers that had wandered onto the street.

"She, Timara, had tried to kill me. We were starving and I was splitting the food up, rationing. She attacked me and I defended myself. I never meant to kill her." He noticed right away, Al's stance softened, her eyes became less angry.

"Thank you. You seem decent enough. But if I catch even a whiff of trouble, I'll send you out on your ass, you got me?" She asked tightening her grip around the straps on her bags. "Let's move." She tilted her head toward the door. When they got outside there was a van. A boy sat in the back and a man in the front.

"This it?" He asked jokingly. She turned and looked at him.

"Yeah. It is." She turned and threw the supplies in the trunk. She opened the front passenger side door.

"You comin'?" The man in the driver's seat ducked his head to see past Al.

"Yeah." Smalls jogged to the minivan and hopped in next to the young boy.

"Dan, Cal. This is Allec. He'll be staying with us for a bit."

"Uh, Smalls. You can call me Smalls." He chimed in as he pulled the door closed with a solid 'thunk'